Youth, climate and participation #163 (Dena Arya)

🌱 Can young people really influence climate policy—or are they still too often invited just to "have a voice" without real power? In this episode of Podcastocracy, we explore youth participation and climate justice, and ask what separates meaningful engagement from symbolic inclusion. ℹ️ The conversation goes beyond formal mechanisms of participatory democracy and examines how deliberative practices can create genuine space for those whose voices are too often underrepresented. We look at intersectionality not only as a theoretical framework, but as a practical challenge: how inequalities shape who gets to participate, who is heard, and who ultimately influences public policy. From citizens' assemblies to participatory theatre, we ask what it really takes to turn participation into impact—and how institutions can translate young people's voices into concrete systemic change. 👉 Support us on Patronite: https://patronite.pl/FIPP 🎙 Our guest is Dena Arya – youth worker and researcher focusing on intersectional climate justice, youth politics, and deliberative democratic practices. 🏘 Topics covered: - Is intersectionality present in today's participatory democracy, or does it remain mostly theoretical? - How can we define intersectionality in the context of public participation and decision-making? - What inequalities most limit young people's involvement in climate-related democratic processes? - What distinguishes meaningful participation from tokenistic inclusion? - How can initiatives like citizens' assemblies or participatory theatre influence real policy outcomes? - How can institutions translate young people's voices into concrete decisions and systemic change? Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction and guest's background in youth work 02:15 – What is intersectionality in participatory democracy? 05:30 – Inequalities in climate-related democratic processes 08:45 – Global North vs. Global South: Whose voices are heard? 11:20 – The problem of "wowing" and tokenism in youth activism 15:50 – Climate justice education and the role of capitalism 19:15 – Building intergenerational solidarity and community 22:00 – Practical methods: Legislative Theatre and political agency 24:30 – How institutions can translate youth voices into systemic change 26:15 – Recommended literature and concluding remarks 🎤 Host: Bartłomiej Małczyński, expert associate at the Institute for Public Policies and host of numerous podcast series and conferences. This episode was produced by Jan Targowski, a project and promotion specialist at the Institute of Public Policies Foundation. A graduate of Middle Eastern Studies and a student of Creative Writing at the Jagiellonian University. Founder of Zenit Studio – a publishing house, production company and talent agency. Collaborator with Kraków’s LART Studio – a post-secondary acting school. 🌍 Visit our website: https://ipp.expert/ 📲 Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/InstytutPolitykPublicznych https://www.instagram.com/instytut_polityk_publicznych/ ________ The CEMORY project is funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed by those involved in the project are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. The European Union and the European Commission are not responsible for them.